Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
May 15, 2015

Private waste haulers and movers have issued a clear the air statement in response to recent charges leveled against them by Minister of the Environment Dr Denis Lowe.

Charging that the controversial $25 tipping fee has not been implemented across the board and that commercial haulers employed by the state-run Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) has been exempted from making these payments, they have also called on Government to suspend the controversial $25 tipping fee until a workable solution can be reached.

The group, which is headed into Day 5 of protests against the fee, also informed that, in a show of good faith, members were prepared to remove waste from critical areas, such as the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as well as other emergency services.

However, they made it clear that they could not guarantee that there would not be any disruption of these essential services “for no more than three days”.

“Our intention is to raise the profile of the plight we are facing and heighten awareness within the broader public domain,” the statement said.

“We are not employing a combative approach and it is unfortunate that a request to meet and discuss an issue of survival of small businesses is labeled as intimidation, bullying or holding the country to ransom,” the group said in response to the statements made yesterday by Lowe.

The group also sought to highlight decisions reached at a May 4 meeting with the Minister of the Environment, at which they sought to address concerns related to the implementation of the tipping fee.

The key decisions reached were confirmed by the group in a letter, dated May 5, 2015, which was hand delivered to Lowe and copied to Permanent Secretary Edison Alleyne.

Today, a copy of the letter was sent to Barbados TODAY.

In it, assurance was given that a post implementation review of the tipping fee would be conducted and corrective actions taken during the first 30 days after implementation.

Against this background, the group said it was unfortunate that the Minister was claiming that they had breached a 90-day agreement made with him.

From the letter, the group said it was also clear that other requirements had to be put in place immediately by the Ministry to facilitate the recovery of the tipping fee, which they are required to pay in advance of dumping material at the Barbados Sustainable Recycling Centre.

“It is clear therefore that our seeking a meeting within that 30 day period is not a breach,” the haulers emphasized today.

Their statement further explained that, “A few days after our meeting with the Minister, the Waste Movers Group, a much larger group representing over 50 truckers, landscapers, and freighters, met with us to explain their challenges.

“What became evident to us, the impact to their sector was significantly more dire, and in need of serious support and immediate action. Their sector is under threat of immediate closure; in the majority of cases they have been unable to work because of this fee,” the release added.

Meanwhile, in their May 5 letter to the Minister, the Waste Haulers had also expressed concern that the Government-run Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) was not required to pay a tipping fee.

“We consider this an unfair business practice that places the business of the Waste Haulers Group under threat.
We need a clear communication from your Ministry, to ensure that everyone is paying fairly. Without this, we will lobby the support of the Fair Trading Commission, to review this as an unfair business practice,” the private operators said in their letter.

The group also called for the SSA to exit the commercial collection business and allow the private sector to take
it over.

44 thoughts on “Not so, Dr Lowe!”

The Minister of Tourism better speak to the Mr Lowe fast. If we are a nation that says “Tourism is our business” we better do something about the waste because our nation will have an increase in illegal dumping and key tourism sectors will be affected. Also our water supply has been the best in the Caribbean but that can also change. The government needs to stop over-taxing us poor people so they can get out of debt. The government needs to communicate with the stakeholders and people of this nation. They trying to get out of debt but check the upsurge in crime. I will keep praying for my nation.God needs to be brought back into all sectors.

The Minister of Tourism better speak to the Mr Lowe fast. If we are a nation that says “Tourism is our business” we better do something about the waste because our nation will have an increase in illegal dumping and key tourism sectors will be affected. Also our water supply has been the best in the Caribbean but that can also change. The government needs to stop over-taxing us poor people so they can get out of debt. The government needs to communicate with the stakeholders and people of this nation. They trying to get out of debt but check the upsurge in crime. I will keep praying for my nation.God needs to be brought back into all sectors.

The minster has all that done covered he is buying more skip trucks and making more skips so he ain’t budging , sbrc is the only recycling company that we the waste haulers who feeds the company with raw materials to recycle have to pay to tip let’s see how much recycling sbrc gets done Secondly hope sbrc don’t have to let go staff

The minster has all that done covered he is buying more skip trucks and making more skips so he ain’t budging , sbrc is the only recycling company that we the waste haulers who feeds the company with raw materials to recycle have to pay to tip let’s see how much recycling sbrc gets done Secondly hope sbrc don’t have to let go staff

Special tours to the sights of Garbage around Barbados ,photo’s can be taken to show your friends back home how much garbage is being stored on the road side and gullies in beutiful Barbados , also speciallysigned photoof Dennis Lowe who has created all these sights .

Special tours to the sights of Garbage around Barbados ,photo’s can be taken to show your friends back home how much garbage is being stored on the road side and gullies in beutiful Barbados , also speciallysigned photoof Dennis Lowe who has created all these sights .

Oh don’t talk about maturity and immature behavior. It’s very mature that all of a sudden a mans place of business is burnt, and another one is being audited. People can only be pushed so far, be happy that they are not sinking to your level and retaliating in the same manner.

Oh don’t talk about maturity and immature behavior. It’s very mature that all of a sudden a mans place of business is burnt, and another one is being audited. People can only be pushed so far, be happy that they are not sinking to your level and retaliating in the same manner.

I strongly support the waste haulers, I believe that the government will only step in one tourism become affected and big business lodge complaints in regards to trash piling up and smell affecting client and locals across the island.

I strongly support the waste haulers, I believe that the government will only step in one tourism become affected and big business lodge complaints in regards to trash piling up and smell affecting client and locals across the island.

It is so sad that this is a situation that remains unresolved….. This tipping fee is ridiculous… The issues is not that it is being charged it is how “per ton”, and it is $25 before vat. Its very sad that government can threaten to purchase more trucks and can’t service other debts owed e.g. tax returns and proudly disclose this move to general public!! These haulers are valuable just as much as our doctors so I cry shame when u can say u r being bullied by truck drivers… like they mean nothing to us!!!! SSA cannot do it alone so a resolution must be met. People don’t see it yet but the domino effect is coming!!! And all consumers will be affected. Why? Cause manufacturing produce waste and if they pay more to have it removed the consumer will pay more as well for the product… So before people raise their nose at the fact that these haulers are taking a stance…. They r doing it for u the consumer as well… So brace your selves for impact if this is not resolved!

Thats the thing the customer don’t want to pay it… And y would the business man tie up his money paying to discard the customer trash??? Who will pay thousands now as appose getting a couple 100 for the job??? Would have to pass to the customers WHO don’t want to pay it. So in actually if I Jose charge 300, to move a skip n then tipping fee is $1400 lol is that a profit or a loss????? Cause de customer only wants to pay 300. But if it was charged per load as in a truck load it makes a vast difference.

Because u have to purchase the tipping book before u go to offload.. That book is consider money it has value..
Expenditure… So u have to trust your driver now with company money lol… Ques is how many books u need to purchase ??? U can’t know till you get on the scale so the business man got to purchase a set of books hoping he get jobs to cover that debt. Lol madness

It is so sad that this is a situation that remains unresolved….. This tipping fee is ridiculous… The issues is not that it is being charged it is how “per ton”, and it is $25 before vat. Its very sad that government can threaten to purchase more trucks and can’t service other debts owed e.g. tax returns and proudly disclose this move to general public!! These haulers are valuable just as much as our doctors so I cry shame when u can say u r being bullied by truck drivers… like they mean nothing to us!!!! SSA cannot do it alone so a resolution must be met. People don’t see it yet but the domino effect is coming!!! And all consumers will be affected. Why? Cause manufacturing produce waste and if they pay more to have it removed the consumer will pay more as well for the product… So before people raise their nose at the fact that these haulers are taking a stance…. They r doing it for u the consumer as well… So brace your selves for impact if this is not resolved!

Thats the thing the customer don’t want to pay it… And y would the business man tie up his money paying to discard the customer trash??? Who will pay thousands now as appose getting a couple 100 for the job??? Would have to pass to the customers WHO don’t want to pay it. So in actually if I Jose charge 300, to move a skip n then tipping fee is $1400 lol is that a profit or a loss????? Cause de customer only wants to pay 300. But if it was charged per load as in a truck load it makes a vast difference.

Because u have to purchase the tipping book before u go to offload.. That book is consider money it has value..
Expenditure… So u have to trust your driver now with company money lol… Ques is how many books u need to purchase ??? U can’t know till you get on the scale so the business man got to purchase a set of books hoping he get jobs to cover that debt. Lol madness

It amazing how the haulers are referred to by some persons… Note: a 14m3 truck carries 10 – 15 tons per load… Now if a consumer wants a lot cleared let’s say his or her lot will amount to 5 truck loads… Who will buy the tickets for the tipping fee???? Not the hauler of course who initially charged $200 to remove the debris from the customers site…. That must be passed on to the consumer… So do the maths… 5 loads * $29.38 (tipping fee) per ton (truck is 10 – 15tons) $29.30*10 tons*5 loads = $1469.00. $1469 est tipping fee we can’t expect the haulers to service this so the consumer has to go buy their tickets n pay this…. Which is already becoming a problem n dem asking about other means of disposal!!!! Hence illegal dumping. Smh its gonna be crazy.

It amazing how the haulers are referred to by some persons… Note: a 14m3 truck carries 10 – 15 tons per load… Now if a consumer wants a lot cleared let’s say his or her lot will amount to 5 truck loads… Who will buy the tickets for the tipping fee???? Not the hauler of course who initially charged $200 to remove the debris from the customers site…. That must be passed on to the consumer… So do the maths… 5 loads * $29.38 (tipping fee) per ton (truck is 10 – 15tons) $29.30*10 tons*5 loads = $1469.00. $1469 est tipping fee we can’t expect the haulers to service this so the consumer has to go buy their tickets n pay this…. Which is already becoming a problem n dem asking about other means of disposal!!!! Hence illegal dumping. Smh its gonna be crazy.

Because a man’s place get burnt and he had a public diagreement with another isn’t low minded to assume that the person he has an issue with has something to do with the fire? if we want to go into the gutter we can also assume somebody is trying to get insurance money or perhaps burn it themselves to make their apponent seems guilty. This though is the thought process of mia and the bees

Because a man’s place get burnt and he had a public diagreement with another isn’t low minded to assume that the person he has an issue with has something to do with the fire? if we want to go into the gutter we can also assume somebody is trying to get insurance money or perhaps burn it themselves to make their apponent seems guilty. This though is the thought process of mia and the bees